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Frozen Flames
Frozen Flames is an Odyssey Event, and the forty fifth in the series. It is scheduled to start on February 14, 2016 at 8:00 AM (PST) and end on February 17, 2016 at 7:59 PM (PST). __TOC__ Feature Changes * New Event UR (Discreet) Imperial Maven Laverna is available before the start of the event in the Ascension Saga Card Pack. * An Animated UR Card as a Mega Lucky Ranking Reward Odyssey Skill Cards * Yurelia, Rebel Princess (UR) Test of Strength Card. Gives 2x the Items regardless of Skill level. Gives 3x the Items when evolved with maxed out Skill. * Imperial Maven Laverna (UR) Boosts the number of Event Items acquired by up to 1.2x regardless of Skill Level. ** (Advising) Imperial Maven Laverna (UR) 1.3x boost. ** (Causal) Imperial Maven Laverna (UR) 1.4x boost. ** (Probing) Imperial Maven Laverna (UR) 1.5x boost. ** (Feared) Imperial Maven Laverna (UR) 1.6x boost. ** (Unwed) Imperial Maven Laverna (UR) 1.7x boost. ** (Turndown) Imperial Maven Laverna (UR) 1.8x boost. ** (Nonaligned) Imperial Maven Laverna (UR) 1.9x boost. ** (Certain) Imperial Maven Laverna (UR) 2.0x boost. ** (Hex) Laverna the Invisible Hand (UR EX) 4.0x boost. Story "Um, Hero... We are still heading north, aren't we?" It was not the first time Elimval had asked you such a question, and you nodded once more even as doubt crept into your mind. Although the weather was far from balmy, you expected the conditions to downright relentless. Instead, drops of melting snow could be heard falling from the evergreens in the glaring sunlight and even the blustery winds had eased into a gentle breeze. It had been ten days since you joined a caravan of merchants to the extreme north region of Neotellus as their escort. The horses and wagons they provided gave a pleasant ride, but as the temperatures dropped, they changed over to sleighs which were prone to swaying and jostling. Even so, it was a marked improvement over your usual method of foot travel. However, about three days ago, you noticed that the temperature began to climb rather than fall. The snowbanks also appeared to shrink, the water mixing into the soil to create mud patches. That caused the long runners of the sleighs to become stuck as they started through the forest. While the merchants sought help from a nearby town, you and Elimval stayed behind to watch the merchants' freight. "I thought that maybe spring was approaching, but if you said that rarely happens so early this far north then perhaps..." Elimval mused over the cause to herself, but the sound of nearing hoof beats distracted her from those troubling thoughts and she beamed expectantly. "Have they returned with help?" However, the horses that appeared were bearing knights clad in battle-worn armor. From their sharp, trained movements, it gave them the appearance of maneuvering to flank the enemy during a skirmish in progress. They naturally noticed your presence, and one addressed you in a stern voice. "What are you doing here?" Shielding Elimval as a precaution, you explained the circumstances of your plight. "I see... We better inspect the cargo, in that case." As the goods were not your own, you protested, but they attempted to reassure they meant no harm. "Have no fear. We are soldiers of Our Lordship Erich." "Erich? Do you mean the Infern...? *Gasp*" Elimval clasped her hands over her mouth, but it was too late. The dismounted soldiers stopped in their tracks and glared at her. Erich was known far and wide as "the Infernal Warlord." He had quelled the never-ending discord in the north by forcibly uniting the clans. He was as belligerent as he was inexorable, and notorious for beheading those who slighted him unintentionally or otherwise. "Ah, what I meant to say was...!" Elimval began to panic, for it was common knowledge that Erich's forces shared his aggression. Fearing they would attack, you moved a hand to the hilt of your sword, but the one who appeared to be their captain broke pretense and grinned broadly. "Relax, Our Lord has actually taken a liking to that name!" She breathed a sigh of relief as they guffawed. You found their teasing in poor taste, but they had not done any harm. "All right, no problem with the merchandise. Next, time to check the girl." "Excuse me?!" You and Elimval faced off against a wall of lascivious smirks. "Hold on, look at how scrawny she is. There's no way she's got anything under there." "You'd be surprised how much you can hide in a dress, especially down the front!" They drew closer, laughing as they exchanged coarse comments. Now thoroughly disgusted by their manners, you gripped your sword again when a dignified voice rang out from the forest. "Looks like the rumors are true -- Furious Warlord's soldiers are a bunch of animals... though I think most animals would take offense being compared to you scum." A woman unlike any you had ever seen stepped from the grove. Her dress was a brilliant red that reflected upon the snow, but so scanty that it appeared to offer no protection from even the moderate chill. Yet more impressive was her hair fluttering in the wind, the left side coated in a silvery frost and the right shining with the sun's gold. She appeared as a manifestation of balance between opposing forces which lent her beauty another layer of incredibility. "Quidral! We finally got you now!" The soldiers unsheathed their blades in unison, eager to fight the newcomer. "I'm sorry you two got wrapped up in their hunt; they were actually searching for me. Anyway, it's going to get awfully dangerous to be here in a moment, so you'd better get moving." "What? But we..." You and Elimval exchanged glances, unsure what to make of the situation. Meanwhile, Quidral turned her attention back to her aggressors. "That goes for you lowlifes as well if you want to live and leer another day! No one's going to blame you for running from an unwinnable battle!" "You dare mock us?!" The enraged men charged at her recklessly, but in the next moment, a massive roar shook the timbers before a creature the size of two humans came barreling through them. It was covered in thick, bluish fur and forked antlers protruded from its head. Though its cranium was shaped like a deer's, its teeth were unmistakably that of a carnivore. "It's the Dardorf! What's it doing here?!" A soldier shouted in frightened disbelief. It was a feared monster of the north dubbed "the ruler of the wastelands." Roaring once again, it pounced upon the soldiers with astounding quickness, shredding the bodies of two of them with a single swipe of its claws. "R-retreat!" The captain shouted the order while running to mount his nervous steed and the others turned to follow. As they struggled to calm their horses, the Dardorf poised itself to leap again. However, you ran to its side and slashed at a hind leg before it could attack. It bellowed in pain as it collapsed to the ground, but quickly righted itself to face you. "Why'd you have to go and save them?" Quidral spoke with bewilderment, and Elimval explained: "That's what the Hero does." "Ah, so that's one of the legendary Heroes. I see..." She gave a cunning smile as she watched you square off against the Dardorf. The beast sprang forward with a snarl, but you rolled to the side and swiped out in retaliation. Unfortunately, the thick pelt of the creature had protected it from the edge of your blade. Digging into the fur was akin to plunging your sword into a mound of soft clay. Now keenly aware of the challenge it posed, you readjusted your strategy. Nothing short of a solid blow to its vitals or its exposed extremities would cause injury, so defeating it would require creating an opening and striking with all of your might. But to your dismay, the Dardorf's nimble movements meant that you were rarely presented with the opportunity to do so. "I believe in you, Hero! You can do it!" Elimval offered her encouragement, possibly aware of your struggle. As your mind continued to race, the monster's head was abruptly engulfed in fire. It started to paw at the scorching flames in a vain attempt to extinguish them. "Now's your chance!" By the time you heard Quidral's cue, you had already taken action. As the beast faltered, you dove at its midsection and attacked with every ounce of your strength. It moaned in pain and buckled to its knees as it swept blindly with its claws. Your mercy in sparing the finishing blow was evident as you instead dodged its weakening slashes, but the rage in its eyes revealed it was yet unwilling to flee. However, after glowering at you for a moment, it bounded back into the forest. You remained on alert should the brute decide to leap out from behind cover, but the rustling of the brush spoke of its retreat and you were finally able to relax. "Getting a beast revered as a god to turn tail was no small feat, you know..." Soon after Quidral commended your efforts, she suddenly dropped to her knees, her face drenched in sweat and her breathing labored. Elimval immediately stooped down to check on her. "Oh dear, are you unwell? You must be freezing in... Ouch, you're literally burning up! What's the matter?!" She had brought a hand close to Quidral before reflexively jerking it away. It appeared her skin was hot enough to burn flesh, and the two of you gaped in awe as the snow melted around her. "I'd suggest not getting too close. The fire within me has grown too strong." "So were you the one who ignited that beast?" "I didn't want the Hero to lose, that's all... but maybe my help wasn't needed." Quidral smiled weakly before struggling to speak again. "Actually, I thought that using my excess heat would relieve this pain, but that seems to have had the opposite effect. You see, I hold the powers of both flame and ice inside myself and I use them to keep the conditions of the land stable. However, my fiery side flared up even more when it started to get too warm around here. I knew right away who was behind it -- Erich. He commanded his wizards to begin gathering fire essence as part of some deranged plan to expand his territory." "Would that explain why there's so little snow, too?" Elimval looked back at the mud-bound sleighs. "Exactly. He's completely destroyed the elemental balance, thawing the land much earlier than natural. Meanwhile, there isn't enough heat outside of the borders, so winter there has become abnormally harsh." "But why would he do such a thing?" "That's what I'd like to know myself. Maybe he's trying to freeze the few holdouts who refuse to join him. That definitely sounds stupid enough to be his idea, at least." It appeared her opinion of him was rather low. "I take it that you happen to know Erich... Is that right?" Her reply was full of acrimony. "I know he's nothing but a pig-headed tyrant. I warned him not to keep all of the heat for himself, but that fool won't listen to anyone whose tongue isn't dry from licking his boots. He called my advice "the ravings of a mad witch," then one thing led to another, and now there's a bounty for my capture." Though Elimval seemed intrigued by the truncated details, she decided to restrain her curiosity. "If this continues, then the winter outside will grow worse, which will cause all of the monsters there to migrate somewhere warmer..." You and Elimval gasped in shock. That consequence had not occurred to you. "How horrible! Is there any way to stop Erich or is it already too late?" "I need to go to the largest volcano in the region, Mount Gehenna. It's source of all warmth here, and where the wizards are storing the gathered fire essence. I should be able to release it if I can get there, but I'm afraid there are already monsters on the move, not to mention other bounty hunters wanting to collect the price on my head. I'm not sure if I can make it there alone in my condition..." "What do you think we should do, Hero?" Elimval looked at you. It appeared she did not want to leave the merchants' caravan before it reached its destination. Yet while you weighed the options, your employers returned with a team of strapping men to help move the sleighs. Reassured that they found aid, you decided that helping Quidral should be prioritized, as doing so would avert widespread disaster. The merchants also agreed to your departure, and so the three of you started towards the volcano. Epilogue "Thank goodness, we've finally made it to the crater…" The tunnel opened up onto a modest shelf overlooking the simmering core of the volcano. Elimval followed as you carried Quidral to the cliff's edge, shielding her eyes from the glare of the molten lava below. In the hellish heat, the whole chamber glowed bright red as the rising smoke cast ominous shadows against the rock wall. A faint speck of blue sky could be seen high above, revealing the extent of your descent. "Thank you for bringing me here. I'll handle the rest." The exhausted Quidral, perhaps roused by the proximity to the amassed fire essence, let go of you and lowered herself to her knees. She appeared to be teetering on the brink of life itself, and Elimval could not hide her worry. "I'll be much better once I send the essence back, which I can do now that I'm close enough to it, but I'll need to concentrate. Make sure nothing interferes until I'm through, if you'll be so kind." You nodded and placed a firm hand upon your sword's hilt. There were still monsters roaming the caverns, their ferocity increasing with the heat, but you swore to stand against every last one. Quidral closed her eyes and clasped her hands while you watched the mouth of the cave. There was no sign of danger for a few moments, but suddenly the echoes of metallic footsteps resonated around you. It sounded as if a company of infantry was approaching, and so you drew your blade. When they emerged from the exit, not only was your assumption confirmed, but you recognized their trimmings as identical to the patrolmen's that found the merchants' caravan. Heading off the ranks was a man clad in elaborate armor, appearing to be in his forties with movements both powerful and deliberate. He had a coercive glare in his eyes, making plain his obstinacy. He had not said a word, but you understood he was the Infernal Warlord himself, Erich. "You won't escape this time, accursed witch! Know retribution for this disaster you've brought upon us!" As Erich roared in accusation, he removed his sword from its scabbard, and his soldiers followed suit. Quidral undoubtedly heard him, but she did not move in the least, engrossed in restoring balance. Elimval, who stood with you between the two conflicting parties, was confused by the king's charge. "What disaster do you mean?" "Did you accompany her unaware of her misdeeds? She has done naught but incite revolt and summon monsters to ravage the land the very moment she departed from my castle!" "But it was you who started everything when you tried to hoard all of the fire essence for yourself! How could you blame someone else for your deeds?" Erich snorted derisively at Elimval's rebuttal. "That was a necessary measure to enhance the glory of my rule! Foreigners like you two wouldn't understand the extent that the supreme law of nature -- 'survival of the fittest' -- burdens we who live in this merciless tundra." Though he attempted to shut out Elimval by sheer bluster, she managed to interject after finding a lull in his speech. She spoke of how his seizing of the fire essence had prompted a migration of monsters to his newly warmed land, and Quidral was simply trying to counteract it. "That witch is not to be trusted! There's no greater weapon than a silver tongue, but I will not be swayed by words! All that will convince me is a display of power!" Rejecting Elimval's explanation, he abruptly rushed at you and struck with the full force of his momentum. However, his movements were simple to read, allowing you to assume a stance that would let you successfully halt his charge. His brow furrowed with doubt as the frightened Elimval ran to a safe distance. "Well done, warrior! It has been some time since I've encountered a foe able to match my strength!" Baring his teeth in a grin, he pulled back his arm to levy another blow. As it came down, you turned his strength against him by parrying his sword and countering with a thrust. That proved fruitless as he smartly whipped his sword around to block yours. Meanwhile, Elimval and Erich's soldiers watched the unfolding duel in wordless awe. Your two blades clashed again and again, the tunnels echoing with a symphony of metallic rings as the two of you performed a frenetic dance. However, the dramatic production was interrupted when a deafening roar shook the walls and a familiar sight appeared from the cave. "Grooooooar!" "It's the Dardorf!" One of the soldiers shouted in panic, and as if on cue, the great beast lunged directly towards Elimval. "H-help me, Hero!" Able to close the gap sooner than the Dardorf, you pulled Elimval out of reach of its claws at the last moment. The sudden absence of its quarry confused the monster and it careened into the assembled soldiers. But with its usual agility, it quickly returned to its feet and bent its legs to leap forward again. "Confounded cretin!" Erich assaulted the monster with a slash to its flank, but it left little more than a rimple in the thick fur. Enraged by the attack, the Dardorf roared and swung a massive forelimb at the king, lodging its claws into his armor. As it brought him to its mouth, its hind legs suddenly became frozen in ice. It bellowed in shocked panic as it struggled to free itself. "Now's your chance!" You turned to see Quidral standing tall and her left side shimmering bright silver once more; the ice was her doing. Focusing upon the Dardorf again, you plunged your sword into the small furrow that Erich's blow had created. The fur was parted just enough for you to pierce the skin. Howling in pain, it broke the melting ice as it thrashed about, your sword still lodged into its body as you held fast to it. Now thoroughly infuriated, it raised a claw to swipe at you in retaliation. Defenseless, you could only stare in fright as the sharp talons came down, but Erich shielded you with his weapon before they could reach your skin. The recoil from his swing knocked the creature off-balance and allowed you to free your sword. Taking advantage of the moment, the two of you unleashed a dual attack to mortally wound the monster. With blood pouring from its gash, the Dardorf groggily rose to its feet and tottered towards the cliff. Finally, with a mournful cry, it fell over the side into the blazing magma. "That's what happens when you don't know when to leave well enough alone!" Quidral gave a triumphant remark as an excited Elimval ran to her side. "Quidral! Are you feeling better now?" "Yes, the fire essence has been restored, so everything has turned back to normal. In fact, why don't you try touching my shoulder again?" Elimval reluctantly obliged, her hand shaking. "It's not hot... I guess you really are fine." Her look of relief was met with Quidral's graceful smile. But then, Erich spoke up in an astonished tone. "...Why did you help me?" Before Quidral could reply, you told him it was likely the same reason that he saved her. It did not escape your notice the Dardorf's leap that Erich had foiled was aimed at Quidral, to say nothing of how he cooperated with you to defeat the beast. Even in your earlier duel, you did not sense any killing intent in his blows. From how he readily admitted to monopolizing the fire essence, it seemed he merely wanted to flaunt his might rather than cause actual harm. "That is why I dislike those with silver tongues…" He turned away in consternation, while Quidral patiently waited to express her appreciation to you and Elimval. "It was due to your help we were able to set things right again. You have my deepest gratitude. I know I can't possibly make up for it, but I'd like to invite you to my place for the night." Erich interjected before you could reply to Quidral's offer. "I'd advise against it, unless you savor the taste of frozen minnows. Nothing short of a luxurious banquet would be recompense enough for defeating the dreaded Dardorf! Come to my castle and we'll all celebrate until dawn!" "You're just looking for an excuse to get rowdy, aren't you?" It was Quidral's turn to cut in. "Hero, you need proper rest to recover. You won't get that at his palace of depravity." "You insolent liar!" "What part of that was a lie?!" As the two glared at the other, you looked to Elimval who wore a knowing smile. "Well, I don't see why we can't partake in the hospitality of both!" You nodded reluctantly, realizing it would be the only way to preserve the balance... Chapters/Quests *Energy *Encountered every 25th Footpath after reaching Footpath 100. Rewards Final Ranking= |-|Lucky Ranking= |-|Guild Ranking= |-|Defeated Boss= |-|Victory Count= |-|Event Items= Category:Odyssey Events Category:Frozen Flames